Oklahoma Heritage Week competitions provide resources for teachers

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The Daily Ardmoreite

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Posted Aug. 6, 2013 at 3:00 PM

Posted Aug. 6, 2013 at 3:00 PM

OKLAHOMA CITY

Third through 12th graders from across the state have the chance to embrace their Oklahoma heritage by participating in the Oklahoma Heritage Association and Gaylord-Pickens Museum’s annual Heritage Week Competitions. The competitions are designed to supplement teacher’s curriculum and give students a chance to win cash while learning.

The Association has hosted the Heritage Week Competitions since 1977. Third through fifth graders compete in the poster competition in which they must depict an Oklahoman through art. Sixth through eighth graders compete in the essay competition in which they relate the importance of an individual from their county to their county’s history. Ninth through 12th graders compete in the video competition in which they select a native Oklahoman and depict his/her impact on the state through an original video documentary.

“Oklahoma’s history is full of diverse individuals, rich in the five characteristics presented in the Gaylord-Pickens Museum – perseverance, pioneer spirit, optimism, generosity and individualism,” said Gini Moore Campbell, director of publications and education of the Oklahoma Heritage Association and Gaylord-Pickens Museum. “Through this competition, students can make a personal connection with historical figures and develop a better understanding of our state’s history.

Cash awards, ranging from $50 to $350 and co-sponsored by IBC Bank, are presented to the first, second and third place statewide winners in each age group. One winning student from each region also will earn additional cash awards. All winners are honored during a reception held at the Oklahoma State Capitol.

“It is so exciting to meet the award winners, their families and educators at the awards reception each year,” said Louise Painter, who has chaired the Heritage Week committee since the program’s inception. “For more than 35 years, this program has given students the opportunity to celebrate and share the amazing heritage we share as Oklahomans.”

Entries for each of the competitions are due on Friday, Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. to the Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum at NW 13th Street and Shartel Avenue in Oklahoma City.